NOM

Renée Ford

Affiliation

Lab Coordinator, Contemplative Innovation + Research Co-Lab (CIRCL), Contemplative Sciences Center, University of Virginia

Role in NOM

Collaborator | Phenomenologist

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Goal(s) in the NOM

  • To query via microphenomenology and analyze structures of remarkable experiences (Tib. nyams) and nature of mind (Tib. rtogs).
  • Translate historical definitions of various experiences with lived experiences in and out of meditation into a contemporary lexicon.
  • Develop a broad lexicon of experiences of mind that can be integrated into contemporary contemplative education and practices.

Education

PhD – Rice University, Religious Studies; MA – Naropa University; BFA – University of Cincinnati

Relevant Experience

  • PI in “Heart Openings: Experiences and Cultivation of Love in Religious Traditions.” Responsibilities: microphenomenology interviews with Tibetan Buddhist practitioners on their experiences of devotion, love, & confidence.
  • Training in microphenomenology interviews and analysis.
  • Tibetan-English translations of several Tibetan Buddhist texts in the Dzogchen tradition.
  • PhD in Religious Studies and Buddhism, focus on Dzogchen meditative practices and experiences.

Select Publications

Monograph

  • Ford, Renée. Devotion’s Tapestry: Doing, Feeling, and Being in Buddhist Practice. In process to be submitted to University of Virginia Press. In Progress.

Peer-reviewed articles

  • Ford, Renée. Forthcoming. “Tears of Devotion: Microphenomenological Interviews Alongside Textual Readings.” In Contemplative Practices in Tibetan Contexts. Edited by Michael R. Sheehy, Marc-Henri Deroche, and David M. DiValerio. Brill Tibetan Studies Library.
  • Ford, Renée. Forthcoming. “I Feel Different: Affect in Contemplative Practices Expressed in Microphenomenology-inspired Interviews and Considerations” in Journal of Contemplative Studies.
  • Ford, Renée. 2004. “Longchenpa’s Lineage Prayer” in Longing to Awaken: Buddhist Devotion in Tibetan Poetry and Song, 100-113. University of Virginia Press.
  • Ford, Renée. 2020. “Devotion, a Lamp That Illuminates the Ground: Non-Referential Devotional Affect in Great Completeness.” Religions 11, no. 3, 148.